One year later.
"Happy birthday, Noah!" I clapped as Noah smashed his tiny hands into the small cake I'd baked.
Blue frosting went everywhere—his face, his hair, the high chair tray.
Olivia laughed from across my new flat's kitchen table. "I think he's enjoying it."
I grinned, snapping photos on my phone. "Think so?"
My flat was bigger now—still in East London, but a proper one-bedroom. Noah had his own room with a crib and toys I'd saved months to buy. I had a real job now, junior analyst at Meridian Investment Firm. The pay was modest, but it was okay by me.
Noah giggled, smearing blue frosting across his cheek. His ice-blue eyes sparkled with mischief.
God, I loved him. I loved him so much it physically hurt sometimes.
I held up a single candle. "Make a wish, little man."
He blew spit bubbles instead.
I blew out the candle for him. I wish for us to never be powerless again.
After cake we had a bath time, after Noah was finally asleep in his crib, Olivia and I sat on my small balcony with tea.
She looked at me over the rim of her cup. "You've come so far. From that café to this. I'm proud of you."
"Couldn't have done it without you." I said and I meant it.
She'd been there for everything. Late-night feedings when I was too exhausted to function. Emergency babysitting when work ran late. Endless encouragement when I wanted to give up.
She set down her tea. "What's next?"
I looked out at the London skyline. "More. I want more."
"More what?" She leaned forward, curious.
My voice hardened. "Everything. I want to build something they can't touch. Something so big and powerful that my son will never be thrown away like I was."
Olivia was quiet for a moment, her fingers tapping against her cup. "And then?"
The words came out cold. "Then I go back. I go back and I show them what they created when they destroyed me."
"Revenge?"
"Justice," I corrected, meeting her eyes. "There's a difference."
She didn't argue, instead she just squeezed my hand.
Later that night, after Olivia left, I stood in Noah's doorway watching him sleep. He was sprawled in his crib, one arm thrown over his head, completely at peace.
I whispered into the darkness. "Mama will give you everything. Everything they said we didn't deserve. And I'll take back what they stole from us."
My phone buzzed. An email from my boss at Meridian.
Aria - Impressive work on portfolio analysis. Senior partners want to meet with you. Major opportunity. Tomorrow, 9 AM.
My heart raced. This was it. The break I'd been working toward.
I looked back at Noah. His chest rose and fell steadily.
I murmured to my sleeping son. "The climb begins. Watch me, baby boy. Watch Mama become someone they'll never forget."
Three years later.
My assistant's voice came through the intercom. "Ms. Monroe, your 9 AM is ready."
I didn't look up from my computer screen. "Tell them I will be there in five minutes."
"Yes, Ms. Monroe." Her tone was professional.
My assistant's heels clicked away across the marble floor of my corner office. Top floor of the Monroe Global building in Silver Springs. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. Modern furniture in blacks and whites.
A far cry from that studio in East London.
I finished reviewing the quarterly projections, signed off on the expansion budget, and stood. My reflection caught in the window—designer suit in deep navy, hair styled in sleek waves, diamond studs in my ears.
The woman Damien Blackwood threw away was gone. This version was way different.
The meeting went smoothly. A tech startup seeking investment. I analyzed their pitch with intensity, asking questions that made their CEO sweat.
I leaned back in my chair, my eyes sharp. "Your user retention rate is declining. Why?"
The CEO shifted in his seat. "Market saturation"
"No." I cut him off with a gesture. "Your UI is outdated and your customer service is nonexistent. Fix those or you'll be dead in six months."
They left pale but grateful that I had given them truth, not comfort.
That was the Monroe Global way.
Back in my office, I checked my phone. Three missed calls from Olivia. I dialed her back.
She answered on the first ring. "Finally. I was about to send a search party."
I smiled despite myself. "Sorry the meeting ran long. How's my favorite boy?"
Noah's laughter erupted in the background. "Destroying the living room as we speak." Olivia's voice moved away from the phone. "Noah, stop! The couch is not a trampoline!"
My chest tightened with longing. "Put him on."
Shuffling sounds, then Noah's voice sounded bright and clear. "Mama!"
"Hi, baby." My voice softened instantly. "Are you being good for Auntie Liv?"
"I'm jumping!" Pure joy in those two words.
"I can hear." I laughed, picturing his curls bouncing. "But maybe jump on the floor, not the furniture?"
"Okay, Mama." A pause filled with the sound of his breathing. "When are we going home?"
Home. He meant Ravenwood. The place I'd fled from, the place I'd spent years building the power to return to.
I gripped the phone tighter. "Soon, sweetheart. Very soon."
His voice turned hopeful. "Promise?"
"Promise." My voice caught. "I love you, Noah."
"Love you, Mama!" His words tumbled out in a rush of affection.
Olivia came back on, her tone knowing. "He misses you."
I looked out at my city, my empire. "I miss him too. But this is necessary."
She sighed, heavy with understanding. "Ravenwood expansion is really happening?"
"The board approved it this morning." I pulled up the skyline photo on my second monitor. Ravenwood's gleaming towers, with Blackwood Tower dominating the center. "We're going in."
"And if you see him?" Her voice carried the weight of the unspoken name.